


Out of Reach

by DS759



Series: The Projectionist [2]
Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Voltaire (Musician) - Fandom
Genre: Accusations, Denial of Feelings, Emotionally unstable, F/M, Implied Murder, Murder, Obsessive Behavior, Psychological Trauma, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-11-27 15:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18196259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DS759/pseuds/DS759
Summary: Shock is unable to handle the accusations of Jack's past victims which leads her spiraling into a place she doesn't want to be.This is a short sequel to a previous NBC work, "The Projectionist" AU. This story will be focusing on Shock and what happened to her during the epilogue of the work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As it says, this is a sequel to my previous work. I suggest reading that before following this one, The Projectionist series is going to be put to an end after this story to work on other things. I'm glad for those who enjoyed reading both and updates for this will show up every Friday.

The sound of the pencil tapping erratically with the ticking of the wall clock bothered the small child's headache.

 

"Shock, could you recall what happened after Jack's disappearance? Your reaction to it?"

 

She really didn't want to be here anymore. Seeing her therapist left a bad taste in her mouth, she gave an exasperated sigh, she might as well get this over with.

 

Shock looked up from her twiddled fingers to her doctor. He was an elder poltergeist, set to forever haunt his office and he had no choice.

"Where do I begin?"

 

"Wherever you feel comfortable, how much you want to tell me depends on you."

She looked at the clock behind him, they have an hour. The more she tells, the faster she'll get out of here.

 

"Fine. The night when Jack disappeared and the festival ended."

 

 

The monsters and ghouls of the town retired for the day as the sun slowly rose into the gloomy sky. Shock was sitting on the edge of the stage, knocking her feet against the wood. Her friends over to her as they rested on the steps.

"Hey Shock." Barrel spoke up while stuffing his face with stale popcorn. " We were going to raid the leftover food from the stands then head home. Want to come?" He gestured to himself and Lock. Shock shook her head, "Nah. You guys go ahead. I think I'm going to stay here a little longer."

Lock stood up and shrugged his shoulders, "suit yourself. See you at home." He headed for the first stand he could get his hands on. Before Barrel followed, he rested his hand on Shock's shoulder with his non buttered hand. "I'll save you a box of chocolate covered spiders."

She smiled tiredly at him, "thanks. I'll be home soon."

Barrel lept of the stage with a popcorn trail behind him.

Shock pulled up her legs, bending them in to place her crossed arms onto her knees. What's going to happen now?

Her boss, gone.

Jack? Possibly going to be gone as well.

The sun shines a light that caught her eye. Something in the dead unkept grass and she couldn't ignore it, getting up from the wooden floor, she went to investigate. Her unkept hair shielded her from the blinding light until she stopped in her tracks when she close enough.

She moved her raven locks to see what was before her, looking up from her short view. It was the projector and on the ground was the roll of film. The tape peeling off it read, 'Macabre'. Her eyes were wide when she dropped to her knees.

"Jack's film." She picked up the film and held it as if it was treasure she discovered. Her own treasure. Jack..

 

Her head turned over to the set projector.

 

Jack is gone.. but.

 

She turned back to the film in her hands and her fingers gripped at the edges of it.

 

His legacy won't be.

 

 

Shock walked the rest of her way home with the film under her arm and both hands lugging the heavy projector by the handle. When she knocked on the door, Barrel had answered it but with disbelief ridden on his face.

"I know what you're going to say and-"

"Whatever, we can watch it again if you want." Barrel waved it off, he grabbed the film from under his arm and brought it inside. "I'll call Lock to come help."

She hid her grow grin with a small snicker, "thanks again."

 

They all sat on the couch together, having snacks as the movie played. Lock was honest when he spoke up about the movie being good for what it was. Barrel was getting his hands sticky with all the stolen candy but nodded with whatever Lock was saying. Shock watched in awe, mostly for whenever Jack came on screen, she couldn't help that he was so breathtaking. When the movie ended, Barrel and Lock fell asleep with their backs against each other. Shock looked over them and chuckled, she reached over a blanket on the floor and draped it over their bodies.

She peeked outside of the small window that overlooked the town. The morning is almost over, it's best to rest until the evening comes. Before leaving to her room, she glanced at the film that rolled in the projector. Shock decided to take it with her for her safe keeping.

She walked into her room, leading towards her small nightstand and opening the drawer. Under everything inside it there was a bat key. Of course Barrel and Lock were aware of it in her drawer when they snoop in her room, those nosy bastards. But never her boss. Oogie never knew about this key and he never will.

She took it out of its hidden spot, going into her closet and she sat at the end of it. Her hand felt for a knob and the key unlocked the key hole under it. It creaked open, a hidden crawlspace. She mostly used it for her precious items and things Barrel and Lock didn't want people to find. Shock grabbed the film from under her arm and pushed it deep into the space, just right next to Jack's suit she prized dearly. Closing the door and locking it shut.

She'll have to hide this key soon, her hand reached for one of her other dresses. She pulled at the loose ribbons on a black dress, squeezing the edge of the ribbon through the hole of the key and she tied it around her neck. She pulled up the collar of her dress to keep it obscured from anyone around her.

Now, on to her other plan she had while walking her. She just need to find another candy bag and the wagon.

 

 

Shock walked into town with the red wagon behind her and a large candy bag placed inside of it. She hummed a small tuned down the road as she pulled up to Jack's house. She saw that the gate and front door were left open for the public to just walk in. Luckily for her everyone was asleep at this time, it was the afternoon after Halloween anyways. She struggled to get the wheels up the patio but she eventually made it at the door.

Shock peeks in into the crack of the door with caution before entering. Judging by the silence, it's safe to assume no one is home.

Now Shock knows that ransacking Jack's house is dangerous and is aware it's one of the most idiotic things she'll ever do but..

She sneers, "I just can't help myself."

Shock decides to check inside the kitchen first, searching through the cabinets, the fridge, every drawer but there was nothing worth stealing other than what seemed to be Jack's favorite mug (which she now stole). Though the jar of nightshade she had found might be useful for later.

She went to the living room next, there were portraits of the skeleton hanged on the striped walls, she picked her favorite one out of all of them. Shock sprawled upon the jet black turfted loveseat, oh how she wishes that she could steal furniture and yet it was too risky.

"Hmm." She pondered about it, "Maybe when he doesn't return for a long while.. I'll make another visit."

She stepped down from the seat and continued her exploring.

 

At this point of her search, the bag was half full. Full of small things Jack kept as his own such as a few books from his library, his small collection of ties, spare glasses and a biography he never finished writing. Shock pulled the weighted wagon into Jack's bedroom. Now this was the room she had be careful with, she couldn't take too much and she didn't want to take too little. Her choices were limited.

She observed around the room, she had enough clothes as it is so the closet was off limits as well as his drawers. Shock went over to Skellington's resting place. She snatched a pillow from off his bed, catching a whiff of it and she shivered hard enough to shake bones. Nothing wrong with taking one.

As she stuffed the pillow into the filling up bag, her head turned to the nightstand next to the bed.

"It's 3:00pm already.. I really need to hurry back." Then her view of the clock switched down to the drawer of the nightstand. She knew what was inside of it and yet her hand wanted to reach for it anyways. Her hand shook when she held the small knob of it, she found herself slightly sweating when she slowly opened it. The photographs she recognized and haunted her dreams that formed into nightmares.

No.

Shock shut the drawer. She refuses see this side of him. Nor does she want to believe it. She grabbed the handle of the wagon and she rolled it out of the room.

 

Just as she was planning to leave, she decided to make one last stop to the basement. While coming over here she was excited to see the set that 'Macabre' took place on. She left the wagon in the middle of the main room and lock picked the door. She took her time on the stairs since there were so many of them until she reached the other door. It took longer for her to crack it open but once she did, she didn't regret it.

The underground set was glamorous to her, Shock's eyes nearly sparkling taking in the sight of it all. It was the shabby basement setting that was mostly viewed in the movie but it was enough for her. Once she had enough, she rushed to the other rooms. The auditorium was impressive as the main set, then she saw the smaller set.

"I remember this is where he plans to kidnap the victim." Shock recalled as she drags a hand on the couch. There was some spots of cotton on the floor though she chose to ignore that.

When she went back to the main set, there was a small break room on the side she spotted. Once she got in, it wasn't the most exciting thing but that didn't bother her. What did was something left on the table. She stepped on to a chair to reach it, curse her child like height, laid on it was a stack of papers. Shock held it in her hand and she took a sharp gasp of air.

"This.. th-this is the original script." Her fingers flipped through the multiple pages of Jack's written script for this movie. A letter slips out of the final page. She takes notice of it as she sets the script down to rip open the envelope.

Opening the letter, seeing this was Jack's handwriting. Shock read aloud, 

'They found me, which means I can't return to my humble home anymore. I am not dead nor alive. Find me as I know I'm something you can't prevent seeing. You can't avoid me as much as you can't avoid coming here.'

 

Her voice started stumbling at the last words, 'Jack Skellington'. This couldn't be.. Jack couldn't have planned to come back, until he planted this here on Halloween night.

"He knew he was going to disappear all along." She answered herself. Peeking into the envelope, there was photograph inside of it. Shock pulled it out and what the picture caught nearly make her lose all the candy she ate earlier. The photo contained a graphic image of a woman sleeping on the floor with cotton seeping out of her cuts along her body, she looks abused and touched by someone she couldn't believe done this to an innocent woman. Shock recognized this lady in the photo, she encountered her with one of her meetings with Jack.

Shock looked on the back of the picture and something was written on the back, with messy writing it said, 'I'm out there.' But where? She flipped the photo back to the red hair doll on front. He wouldn't.. do this, would he? Wait.

Where is this room.

The background behind her is stained, chains on the walls and nearly pitch dark save from the flash on the camera. This has to be somewhere in the house. Shock placed the photo and the letter back into the letter before slipping it into her hat. She picked up the script and took it with her to search for the unknown basement.

Seeing as she almost opened up every room in the basement, her options were down to retracing her steps. This led her back to the door that opened up the underground set. Before going into it, there was a door on the side. It was locked though luckily Shock had the upper hand into unlocking it, it opened with a loud squeak of the door hinge but what it had inside was louder.

The scene spoke the many tales of Jack's victims.

There was rusty chains on the wall and floor, stains that were scrubbed consistently yet the damage was made already and the smell burned Shock's nose, making tears form in her eyes. She slammed it shut, her breathing was skipping from inhaling. Stepping back from the door and she fled for the exit.

She wished her curiosity can finally kill her now.


	2. Chapter 2

Barrel woke up from the couch to a siren. It sounded as if was getting closer and it stopped in front of their home. He slipped off the couch, hitting the floor face first.

"Boogie's boys, please come out to discuss some matters." A voice blared through a megaphone. Barrel groaned as he pushed himself off the floor. He opened up a side window to see a cop car and two police zombies next to it.

"Isn't it a little early for this? It's 7 pm and we haven't even done anything yet." The youngest boogie boy answered to them.

"We aware, this is for discussing Jack Skellington's disappearance and some evidence that may have been stolen." The undead officer reassured him. Barrel tsked and nodded. "Alright, alright I'll let you in."

Lock was behind Barrel by the time he shut the window. "What's going on? Why are the cops here?" Lock asked groggily.

"Hide the projector. Quickly."

 

Shock was down the road when the cop car came into view. "Shit!" She said through clenched teeth. The witch had to hide the wagon and fast, she hopes she can conjure up an invisibility spell under pressure.

 

"Then our boss chased after Mr. Skellington and that's the last we ever saw of him." Barrel finished and one of the zombies was jotting all this down. "Alright. I think that's all we need. Now if you don't mind us searching through the house before we go?"

Lock shook his head, "Not at all! Look around as much as you please." His nervousness was on the edge. The cop nodded and he spoke to the other, "I'll search the house. You stay here when the other one gets home and you question her."

The other nods at his partner and he sits down in a chair in front of the two boys while the larger cop searched. "You boys know where your friend is out at this time?" The skinnier officer asked Barrel and Lock.

"Uh-hhhm-" Lock stuttered before getting cut off by his accomplice. "She's out to search through town for any leads on our Boss."

"She's looking for Boogie, after betraying him at the film festival?" The cop cocked an eyebrow at him. Now Barrel got nervous, but Lock backed him up, "Oogie Boogie may have not been the best to us but he's still our boss, he took us in and we all were under taken under his wing. We're all concerned for him, especially her." His sentence ended with a muttered growl at that lie. None of them really cared about him. If he was dead after all this, it'd be a good riddance. "She was doing a favor for the Pumpkin King as we all would."

The front door opened and in came Shock with a nerve wrecking smile. It was made worse with the cop made direct eye contact with her, but seeing Barrel and Lock made her smile settle down. The zombie got up from his seat to walk over to her, "Shock, your friends say you've been out looking for your boss the whole day."

Shock's eyes darted over the cop's shoulder over to Lock and the devil winked at her. She cleared her throat, "Yes officer. Haven't seen him since last night." Her fingers dragging down both of the bags under her eyes. "I've been restless because of it and I must acquire sleep." She passed the cop and started heading towards her room down the hall.

"But keep me updated on my boss instead of harassing my partners at this ungodly hour, would ya?" Her eyes peeked over her shoulder to the officer. "I want you out of here."

The skinny cop had followed behind her with his notepad, "but the missing evidence, the film and the projector!" He was exclaiming at her. Wanting some sort of statement from her but getting none.

She stopped at the door of her room when she saw it cracked open. Shock flung it open and saw the larger officer peeking into her closet.

"And I want your partner out of my ROOM. NOW!" She shrieked. Startling both of the officers.

Barrel and Lock both exchanged laughs from this. "Guess they had to learn the hard way." Barrel had snorted and Lock grinned, "Ha, yeah."

"Never go into Shock's room." They both said in unison.

 

After the cops both took their leave, Shock waited from them to go inside their cars to drive off. Barrel and Lock came up behind her, "Shock where have you been all the day?" The youngest questioned her, she responded with a sigh and said, "Jack's house. At first I was just stealing but now." Her crossed arms rested on the windowsill and her chin joined on top of it. "I kind of regret going over there." Lock walked around on her other side, "what makes you say that?" She grumbled, "check under my hat." Barrel grabbed the point of her witch hat and pulled it off as Lock took the envelope under it.

The boys read it and Barrel looked at her, "Shock.. this can't be real. What if this was just someone pulling an awful prank?" She moved off the sill once the car disappeared in the distance. Shock went for the door. "It's not." Her friends followed her outside.

 

"Wh- Wait, What?! What do you mean 'it's not'? How are you so sure it's not and how do you know this is directed at you?" Lock shouted and Shock went behind a lifeless tree.

"Jack knows that I'd return to his house after all this. He knows that I've seen..-" Her head pounded at the thought of the photographs. "..some things about him. Now, he wants me find him. He's not gone, guys." She pulled the now visible wagon behind her. "And. That letter IS by him." Shock untied the knot around the full candy bag to rummage through the contents inside of it.

Lock rolled his eyes. "Again. How are you so sure about that?"

Shock grabbed out the large stacked script out of the bag, going over to him and shoving it into his hands. "Because that's his handwriting."

 

The boys were hang out in Shock's room and stealing the 'loot' from her bag until it came realized for them it was junk to them.

"I didn't realize you came back with a bag of trash and even the trash had more valuables than this." Lock commented when he pulled a tie out of it. Shock yanked it out of his hand, "ha ha. It may be trash to you but not to me." She straighten the tie out and hanged it on a hat hook on the wall. Barrel pulled out the jar of nightshade and 'ooo'ed at it, opening the lid of it and sticking his hand in it. He was tempted to put it in his mouth until Shock slapped it out of his hand.

"DON'T EAT THAT." She grabbed the jar out of his hand. Her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose, "Honestly I can't keep my eyes off you for one minute."

She took the lid and sealing it shut to keep the smell from wandering in the room. Shock dragged a step stool to reach a high shelf and sets the jar onto it. "Awww why can't eat any of it?" Barrel whined then Lock slapped the back of his head.

"Idiot. That's a poisoned nightshade, one sniff of it can even knock you out. Imagine, eating it could kill you twice!" Lock continued to scowled and cursed at the young Boogie Boy as Shock was left with her thoughts. This nightshade could be what Skellington used to knock out his victims and that girl-

She shook her head. No, no, she denies it. Jack would never do these things even with what she saw, those photographs, the basement and the girls. All a misunderstanding. That's it, that's what this was! A misunderstanding, Jack could be covering up someone else's murders and this couldn't have been done by him. Skellington is misunderstood, framed even! He's innocent. He's innocent! HE'S INNOCENT.

"Uh.. Shock?" Lock put his hand on her shoulder and she snapped her head to him, she was smiling and panting as she did. "Yes?"

The devil was a bit startled by this and it caused him to step back. "You started laughing out of nowhere, are you alright?" He asked her with Barrel behind him, practically hiding from her view.

"Yes." She said emotionless but then took notice of her friend's cautious manner and she snapped out of it. Shock turned around, straightening out her dress and cleared her throat. "Yes, I'm fine."

Barrel grabbed a hold of Lock's wrist and started pulling him out. "You need to rest, Shock. You've been up for too long. We'll wake you up later."

"Alright then." She said as Lock shut the door. 

Barrel's body shook after the door closed, he let go of the devil's wrist as he looked at him over his shoulder. His face was whiter than the skull mask he wore. "What. What was that?"

Lock shared the same blood drained face but he remained calmed and slightly doubtful. "Maybe she saw a ghost in Jack's house."

 

Shock locked the door after her friends left. She stared at the wall next to her bed for Oogie's sake how long then she went into her closet. There hidden under her pile of shoes laid the projector, Lock knew to hide it there since he hoped Shock would come to stop the cops from seeing it. The damned devil had good timing. Always did whenever he'd pull pranks.

She took it out and placed it to the side. Her hand slipped into her the collar of her dress to pull out the key. Taking off her hat to pull it over her head and she unlocked the hidden crawlspace. Her hand pushed away Barrel's secret candy stash, reaching for the 'Macabre' film.

 

She sat there replaying the film, it projected onto the wall by her bed for endless hours. Until she paused at a shot of Jack's final lines, she got up onto her bed and her hand reached out to imagine how his cold skull felt. Shock whispered to herself, "I'll find you."


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a couple of days. Days of planning, Shock has been trying her best to analyze all the evidence that was left from Jack. It made her lose a bit of sleep, her eyes droopy and hair was a mess. But she needed answers, she needed to know what the photo left for her meant. There was a soft knock at the door, she shoved all the evidence in front of her under her bed. "Come in," she said without looking up from the floor.

Barrel entered, clearing his throat before he choked out, "Uh.. Sh-Shock. The police are here to talk to you again." He didn't want her to know what he now knows. The cops decided to tell him first before they told her, he already knows how she's going to react but he couldn't hide this from her.

Shock's legs trembled before she got up from the floor, she stumbled to the door and Barrel helped leading her out of her room. Shock's dead pan face twitched when she saw the large cop in the living room, "I thought I told you to not come back until you had information on Oogie Boogie."

The scrawny cop took off his cap and held it over his chest. "Ma'am, Oogie Boogie's body was found empty on the entrance of the forest this morning. As for Skellington, his tracks led to nowhere we can 'confirm' he's dead or completely vanished. But.. new research came up and.." He couldn't finish his sentence and Shock held her tongue. She knew what he was going to say but she didn't want to hear it. Nor did she want to believe it.

The bulkier cop finished for him. "Jack Skellington is a prime suspect for Boogie's murder, as well as for several other victims after finding disturbing photographs in his household and when Sally came out with her story about Jack. I'm sorry." He said with sincerity in his voice as he looked in the eye of the teared up girl.

She felt her heart that once was a subtle ache is now shattered. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and she ran to her room before she started sobbing. Shock didn't want anyone to see her like this, now that she knows what Barrel knows. Lock was wide eyed and was red from growing rage, Barrel knew this since he held him back when he about to strike.

"You ASSHOLES, you know how long it took to get her OUT OF HER ROOM? NOW YOU DRAGGED HER BACK IN IT." Lock was screaming absurdities at the officers who let the young child yell at them until he ran out of steam. 

After minutes Lock was panting and he stopped, the large cop stood up from his seat and asked the two boys, "Is it fine if we come back in a week to escort all of you to detectives and reporters. They're going to want your part of the story."

Barrel nodded as Lock was lack in his arms, the officers left to let them be. Barrel set his friend on the floor to go check on Shock. He opened up the door, seeing her curled up on the bed and he lightly shook her brooding body.

"They're planning on coming back soon, Shock. We have to come clean and tell them."

"We will. They'll know _everything_. " She muttered out, her head in her hand and her lips formed a smile.

 

 

 

Barrel poured some expired juice into a black mug then setting it onto a tray. What had been passing days became weeks, Shock had refused to come out of her room. He hasn't really seen her since the police were hear and the boys were worrying for her. Lock is close to being fed up with Shock being in solitude but Barrel is preventing that by assuring him that things will go back to normal soon. Lock took the tray to keep Barrel from dropping on the way to Shock's room. He knocked on her door before setting the tray on the floor, there's a usual no response but he decided to speak anyways.

"Shock, it's morning. You need to at least eat breakfast today. I'll be leaving it outside." Lock was about to walk off until the door creaked open. A shudder filled him when he felt a breeze hitting him in the face and yet he was overwhelmed with panic when he looked inside the room. He ran down the hallway, tripping from going too fast and it made him fall in front of Barrel's feet.

 

"Dude, what the hell-"

 

"Gone." Lock said with his face against the floor. "What? I can't-" Barrel was confused when he felt Lock's hand was gripping at his ankle. The devil looked up at him with an expression that Barrel has never seen before. Fear.

"She's gone. The window was open and there was tied bedsheets hanging out the-" Barrel stopped him with a sigh. He grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him off the floor. Straightening him out before Barrel rubbed the top of his forehead in frustration.

"Wh-Why are you not freaking out about this? Out of all people.."

Barrel gave an exasperated groan, "because I know where she went. I'm tired. I'm just tired of this." Lock was surprised, his friend, the optimistic one was cracking before he did.

"I just want everything to go back to normal, Lock. No, what I wish is that Jack wasn't a psychotic bastard, Oogie Boogie's death being on natural terms and not Jack butchering him, Shock having a normal fucking obsession and-"

Lock calmed him down the way he does with all his friends, grabbing them by the shoulders and shaking them.

"Stop. Stop it." He spoke as his shaking some sense into Barrel slowly stopped. "Things are going to be normal if we find her before it's too late, okay?" His friends head hung and he looked down at the floor. Lock shook him once violently, "Okay?!"

Barrel shook his head, "OKAY! Okay. Alright. Let's go find her." He had doubts about everything being normal but hey, optimism gives you false hope. Right?

 

 

 

Shock walked while drowning in her sorrow, everything was too much for her to take in at once. The only thing she wanted to do now was to run away from it and find the person who can end it. She still denies that Jack is dead in her head yet she was determined to confront him. She wanted to talk. Talk about why he wants her to find him, why her? For what purpose did he want Shock to come search for him in the woods? She'll find out soon enough. Once she knows the answer, things could go back to normal and her brain will settle.

Her tracks stopped when she arrived at the entrance of the forest. Her hand slipping into her hat to pull out a flashlight, even though the morning's orange gloom was bright the trees of the forest blocked the glow. She flicked it on, took a deep breath and continued her search.

Dead leaves under her feet crunched and the occasional twig snap was louder. She flashes the light on the passing trees, there wasn't much of anything in here expect tracks deep into the soil underneath her. Shock crouches down, she recognized this small print. This was from the bottom of Jack's shoes. She pointed the light higher and saw they disappeared. She tsked, what the police officers didn't know is that Jack is quick on his feet. With the advantage of his shoes being so small he's able to be light on his feet to basically tiptoeing away from the crime scene. So she kept following the trail, til it led up to a tall tree. This is where she heard a whisper from behind her. She jolted back, nearly dropping the flashlight.

"J-Jack?" The leaves under Shock circled her. The wind heard in the trees grew louder and this made her shiver from the cold. He was here. But where? She looked all around the area though there was no sign of the skeleton anywhere.

"You came." Yet she can hear him. The Pumpkin King never lost his touch on frightening others. The fear could be heard in Shock's voice. "Y-Yes I did but wh-why?" This reminded her what she was here for.

"Why did you want me to find you?" She asked him as her eyes desperately searched. 

"Because, I know you know what I did and you choose to deny it. For the fact, yes it's wrong but you crave it as much as I do." Jack uttered back and Shock gave up on trying to find him. Though she's aware on looking a bit mad just talking to nothing that's there. Her head tried to process what he meant then her head shook.

"Huh? No I.. torturing is a no problem but murdering? I can't, Oogie always was the one for that. I've never done anything like that."

"And yet you have a desire for it. You say you can't and yet your mindset tells you otherwise. Your heart beats fast at the thought of it, I feel it." It was beating now, faster than it usually is. Shock was panting, her hand over her chest to calm it down.

"I was once like you, Shock. My mind pushing away at those kinds of degenerate things, never to be explored. Sooner or later your mind can't take it anymore and you just.. let it out." There was a tree that can be heard collapsing in the distance. It echoed through the forest and it made Shock turn her head at it.

"Then you can't help yourself and you make the same mistakes I did. I eventually got caught, even with the help I had from a dear friend. But with you, Shock, we can let our hunger for bloodlust be quenched. Your first murder will let all the denial cease and you'll be able to stabilize your thoughts again." Jack had the words of a madman who overlooks everything with ideas that only he can understand.

Shock didn't think that. Her mind told her that he spoke wisdom, she always thought this whenever he'd voice his opinions in town meetings. She felt some understanding with him and she felt like the only one who did. Her head turned back and saw the ghastly bone hand in front of her, waiting to take hers.

"Join me, Shock." His voice grew loud with these words. She could only stare at it, her heart beating rapidly when she slowly starting reaching for it. This was a man she had an obsession for, ever since she met him, she saw him as an inspiration and even at this very moment she still does. Yes, she does admit now she had something for him she never felt with anyone else. That feeling now overwhelms her when she only sees the hand as she imagines the Jack Skellington she knew connected to it. She didn't notice that her face flushed red at that thought.

Though something inside her told her to not go. In fact it's volume is growing as her hand got closer.

"SHOCK NO!" She was pulled away forcefully from the hand in front of her, though she felt him graze his hand on her forehead. She reacted to it like having a dream crushed before her own eyes.

"No! Let me go, I want to go with him. I WANT TO GO WITH HIM!" Shock can hear Jack's voice in her head. He's telling her to come to him but she couldn't get away from what was pulling her back.

Barrel and Lock was pulling at whatever they can to avoid getting hit by Shock. She kept screaming and refused to go, they didn't let her get away from them. They dragged her out of the forest with the officers right behind them. All of them heard her shouting about how 'him'. The cops didn't know who he was, but her friends did.


	4. Chapter 4

The cops told the boys to keep an eye on Shock after the whole ordeal until she's stable enough for reporters. Lock and Barrel agreed and the adults left. The devil slammed the door after they left, "what the hell was that all about?"

He asked to his witch friend as she sat on the couch, her eyes only looking down at Jack's mug that was in her hands. Barrel wrapped a torn up spider pattern blanket around her. It was all the boy's comfort blanket (even though Lock refuses to admit that) they all use when the stress of being one of Boogie's workers was too much for them. Shock grabbed the edges of it and wrapped them around her shoulder so she was fully secure in the blanket.

"I don't know, Lock." It came out muffled from behind the fabric and Lock barely made out what she said.

"What do you mean you don't know? You clearly KNEW what you were doing when you went into those woods! You went looking for Jack when you knew it was dangerous to go looking for a literal murder. The guy actually killed people! He could have done the same to you!" Lock kept going as he walked towards her. His endless rantings were infamous for lashing out on someone than himself.

"What about us? Huh? You knew you could have gotten killed and didn't think about us? Your friends? The ones who could have helped you through this but you chose not to tell us?" He got closer. He sat next to her but his red face was turning back to pale.

"And! And.. and," Lock turned towards her and he clung his arms around Shock. He was on the verge of sobbing and yet he strained himself not to and his hands gripped on the blanket. "You freaking idiot, you could have gotten yourself fucking killed." He sniffed, tears escaping from his strain and he mumbled the rest of his sentences into the crook of her neck. This was the most emotion Shock has ever seen from him and it surprised her. Her arm extended out of the blanket and her hand patted his back. Barrel was wide eyed but he wanted to comfort both of his friends.

He tried reaching his arm as much as he could when he hugged both of his friends. The situation at hand was almost forgotten in his moment.

After the incident, Barrel seriously suggested that Shock should seek some help and to tell the truth about everything. She wasn't apposed to idea only if they were there with her. Though for today they thought it would be a good idea to go on her own. Shock decided not to argue with them, facing this head on.

 

"That's pretty much it, doc. I don't have much to tell after that." Shock sits up from her seat, cracking a few bones after doing so. The poltergeist nodded, "do you feel better from telling me this?"

"A little, yeah." She at least felt the weight get lifted off her shoulders. "I'm glad you felt fine with telling me all of this, Shock." He smiled. "You're making excellent progress already with the time we have." His hand went into his pocket, taking out a pill bottle and he went over to give it to her.

 

"If you'd like you can keep coming back weekly and to take your medicine until you feel ready to get off it." He informed her, writing down the medication on his check board. "Now maybe next week, I'm going to want to discuss the voice you keep hearing and how you're doing that week. Is that okay?"

Shock took the bottle and nodded, "Mhm." She hopped off and went for the door.

"Possilbly, I'll see you next week." He was now at his desk when he waved her off. Shock only could say, "Yeah." As she shut the door behind her.

Shock walked home with the blanket around her and the chill of the night blowing viscously. The cold reminded her of what happened, now she can hear it again. The voice in the back of her head that was Jack, he'd talk to her whenever there was a long period of times she didn't take her meds. She didn't want to hear it now, it made her eye twitch uncontrollably. But it stopped when she saw a tower in the distance, she knows who lives there, that one lady that she met with Jack. They've talked a couple of times though she wonders, if she can hear it too.

She knocked on her door. The knob turned after a while. "Hello?" Shock heard when the door opened.

Shock looked up at the woman who seemed healthy from when she last saw her. She could say the same for herself, she looks like a wreck right now.

"Shock.. It's been a while, how are you? You must be cold. Please come in."

She stepped inside when being invited in, she didn't say a word. How can she after coming in unannounced just to ask a stupid question that probably bothered Sally as much as it did for her. At least it felt less of that now when the door closed, making her at ease as the voice made themselves quiet.

"Why did you walk all the way over here on a cold night?" Sally had asked. How can Shock put this directly without going off and saying too much? He might hear her talk about him again. While being at therapist, she felt a burning sensation all over body when even uttering his name.

Shock had stopped in place and looked down at the wooden floor. "Do you ever hear him?"

 

"What do you mean, Shock?" Sally asked her in question. Her head tilting to the side as she did.

 

"Do you ever hear him speaking to you?" Shock turned her head around. She was unaware about look in her eyes was an unnatural one, it scared Sally. "I can hear him speaking to me. As if he's still here with us."

 

"Of course I do. I always do."

 

"He'll always haunt us and will never leave until we're perfected."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of this AU and im sorry I didnt upload it on time but thanks for reading this if you took the time to do so. Onto other projects now to put this for an end.


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